Back Pain, Mike, and remembering the past

Sitting here on the computer, waiting for the extreme pain of the morning to go away or at least reduce itself enough for me to get myself around. Funny(not really) thing about this type of pain...it starts off in the morning from the time you wake...then usually the different levels arrive. less after you move around, then as the day wears it comes back, depending on the day's activities. No work in Greenville this morning, so got up before Patricia headed off to school, so she could help me get dressed...sad state of affairs, but without her, I would be hours getting enough movement to get around. That's how far I've went downhill the past couple of weeks...from seeming better before the Akron trip to this. But as a line in a long forgotten movie once stated..."pain is what makes you alive"...."Bullshit" is what I say.

Anyway the Ortho gave me a 10 day supply of Celebrex to reduce inflammation....took 2 yesterday, then supposed to take one a day until I go back.....well, that probably ain't gonna happen...it did not help me sleep without pain, yes I slept longer, but still had the pain this morning...so I figure, I might as well go back to the Ibuprofen and a couple of cold ones...less side effects and just as effective, without the chance of the stuff having a reaction.

Anyway off to the MRI in C0ldwater tomorrow.....then wait for another week before heading back to Fort Wayne next Wednesday.

Sam heads for Rhode Island with a RV today.....says he needs the miles, the RV business is a little slow around the Christmas season.

Mike and Me____________

My older(and only) brother Mike is in Columbus this week getting tested for probable stage 2 on the vocal cords.....after breaking his leg almost a year ago down at his Homosassa, Florida, home, he went downhill over the next few months....during his recovery back in Ohio, he has now gotten himself off the 2 pack a day smoke habit(45 years running) cold turkey, and seemed to be turning the corner, until the lost or raspy voice came along.....after foot dragging by the VA(slow but never steady is it's motto), he finally got back in for a look at his vocal problems, and depending on what they see Friday, it appears he probably has stage 2 cancer on the cords....but this is actually better than feared...his daughter, a RN, got him in earlier than they wanted....and it now appears they can do laser to remove the problem....that will come in the 2nd week of December, and as it looks he will be released on December 15th....his 61st birthday.

Doesn't look like Mike will be getting back to Florida for the winter....at least not at this point....

Mike and I grew up in Venice, Florida(although both of us were born in Van Wert, Ohio) from 1953-1963....we were different to say the least, our personalities never did seem the same, we got along, like all siblings, more or less....him being the oldest probably had it's advantages and disadvantages...me, being the 2nd, ahead of 2 younger sisters, never seemed like much of a bargain. We had our battles, him being the oldest, made him king of the hill.....but we never had any serious fights...he would have won(until our post Air Force days, then, there would have been a changing of the guard), but it never came to that...we got along later in life, still two completely different souls with different outlooks on life, God, and activities....Mike was the hunter, I like fishing better, Mike was into fast cars, me, not so much, I liked comfort...he liked to smoke and drink, I settled for beer, an occasional mixed drink or Drambuie.....later on I would discover fine hand rolled cigars...but thankful I never did enjoy the smell of cigarettes...so I never partook. After his divorce 25 years ago, Mike the Telephone installer, moved and lived on the road before finally settling in Homosassa, a Gulf of Mexico berg, about 50 miles north of Tampa...it suited him well, until the back problems from to much travel and too many falls from poles ended his working days....his boat and his house trailer, located on the Homosassa River(100 yards from his watering hole, The Manatee Pub), fit his life style, until health problems set him back a couple of years ago.....Mike is at the crossroads....we will see how this works for him, and the family....he has two daughters in Columbus and 2 granddaughters to think about, plus mom is still in good health, and basically taking care of him...who would think it?...83 year old mother is actually in better condition than 60 year old son.....and if I don't improve, she may have me beat.......

And life goes on.........................

Photos{Mike and me in the late 1950s....next to dad's 100 lb Jew fish at the Venice Jetties...and in 1958 Mike was on the Varsity of the Venice Elks Little League team, I was on the JV of the same squad}